Tamanoumi Masahiro
| Tamanoumi Masahiro | |
|---|---|
| 玉の海 正洋 | |
Tamanoumi's handprint displayed on a monument in Ryōgoku, Tokyo
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| Personal information | |
| Born | Takeuchi Masao February 5, 1944 Aichi |
| Died | October 11, 1971 (aged 27) |
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in) |
| Weight | 135 kg (298 lb) |
| Career | |
| Stable | Kataonami, formerly Nishonoseki |
| Record | 619–305–0 |
| Debut | March, 1959 |
| Highest rank | Yokozuna (January, 1970) |
| Championships | 6 (Makuuchi) 1 (Jonidan) |
| Special Prizes | Outstanding Performance (4) Fighting Spirit (2) |
| Gold Stars | 4 (2) Sadanoyama (2) |
| * Up to date as of July 2007. | |
Tamanoumi Masahiro (玉の海 正洋, February 5, 1944 – October 11, 1971), was a sumo wrestler, born in Aichi, Japan. He was the sport's 51st yokozuna.
Born in Gamanori, he did judo in his youth. Tamanoumi began his professional career in March 1959, joining Nishonoseki stable, the same stable as the great yokozuna Taihō. At that stage he used a different shikona, or fighting name: Tamanoshima. In 1962 his coach, former sekiwake Tamanoumi Daitaro, set up his own Kataonami stable and Tamanoshima joined it. He reached the top makuuchi division in March 1964. In 1965 a change in the rules meant that wrestlers from the same group of stables could meet each other in tournament competition, and Tamanoshima defeated Taihō in their first official match. He was promoted to sumo's second highest rank of ōzeki in November 1966 at the age of 22. At first, he was unable to reach a score in double figures at ōzeki rank, but his results began to improve significantly from November 1967. In May 1968, after three runner-up performances in a row, he finally captured his first yūshō, or tournament title, with a 13-2 record. His second title came in September 1969. In November 1969 he posted a 10-5 record, and in January 1970 he took part in a playoff for the title with fellow ōzeki Kitanofuji. Tamanoshima lost the match, but after the tournament both Kitanofuji and Tamanoshima were promoted to the yokozuna rank. With Kashiwado already retired, and Taihō soon to follow, the two ushered in a new Kita-Tama era.
Upon reaching yokozuna Tamanoshima changed his name to Tamanoumi, his coach's old shikona. His first tournament championship as a yokozuna came in September 1970 and he followed it up with another victory in November, defeating Taihō in a playoff. In July 1971 Tamanoumi won his sixth and final championship, his first with a perfect 15-0 record.
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